Are You Feeding Baby Too Early?

Sometimes families are excited to start baby on solids and
they accidentally start too early (without knowing some of the risks). I have
worked with numerous families in feeding therapy that fed their baby early (at
3-5 months of age) and, unfortunately, this resulted in choking episodes
or outright food refusal. To avoid these risks, let’s explore the signals you
need to look for to make sure you are not feeding baby too early!

Recommendations: The American Academy of Pediatrics and
the World Health Organization encourage parents to start baby on solids at six
months of age. I also recommend starting solids at about six months, but it
depends on the child’s readiness signals. Here is my checklist of eight signals to look for:

Hips:
Can baby sit up on their own without losing their balance? If not, it may be
too early.

Arm:
Does baby reach for your food or drink and/or grasp objects? If not, it may be
too early.

Hand:
Does baby bring their hand, objects or food to their mouth? If not, it may be
too early.

Head:
Does baby have the head control to look up, down and to both sides without
falling forward? If not, it may be too early.

Eyes:
Does baby stare at you intently while you are eating and/or have an interest in
food? If not, it may be too early.

Mouth:
Does baby start to drool, munch on their hand or open their mouth in time with
you feeding yourself? If not, it may be too early.

Tongue:
Is baby’s tongue thrust reflex gone? If not, it may be too early.

Brain: Is
baby about six months of age? If
not, has baby mastered the other seven signs?

Feeding Gear:
Having the right gear can help baby be successful with solids. My two-step gear
guide is to have the following:

Highchair:
The key to safe eating is having a good highchair (to help with baby’s head control
and hips for sitting).

Dishes:
Silicone dishware like the Mini
Matand Tiny Bowlsuction
to the table (or highchair tray) to help baby with balance. They also foster effective
arm and hand movements.

Common Reasons
Parents Start Too Early: I think it is important to understand why parents may
start introducing foods to early. Here are the three most common reasons I have
encountered:

Starting
Solids Because of Comparing: In feeding therapy,
parents confess to me that they started solids too
soon because they were comparing their baby to their first born. Others state
that well-meaning family members, neighbors, friends or even their spouse
started comparing their baby to the ‘infant next door’ and they felt coerced
into feeding early. But before we cave into peer pressure, we need to make sure
baby has the skills to safely eat solids.

Starting
Early Because of a Fussy Baby: Many families explain that they started
solid foods early because they thought it might help calm their fussy baby. Before
we use food for comfort, we need to ensure baby is developmentally equipped to
eat.

Starting
Early Because of Mixed Signals: Parents tell me that they were confused
about what signals to look for. Receiving mixed signals can be frustrating for
both baby and the parents. If baby is only showing one of the many signs of
readiness, then baby is not quite ready…but they will be soon!

I hope these tips help parents make an informed decision
regarding solids based on the development of their baby. What are some ways
your baby told you they were ready for solids? #ezpzfun #startingsolids

Photo Credit: Paul Joyner Photo

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Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist & Feeding Specialist for ezpz

Dawn Winkelmann, a.k.a “Ms. Dawn”, has treated thousands of kids across the globe by helping families overcome picky eating stages and food refusals, while adding new foods into their diet. Her high success rate is attributed to Ms. Dawn bringing her education, experience, sense of humor and her favorite feeding products to the family dinner table.

You will find Ms. Dawn’s expert feeding advice to be positive and fun for the entire family! She adapts complicated feeding/swallowing research and makes it practical and easy for parents! Get ready to learn the science behind your favorite feeding products and ways to bring happy family mealtimes back!